Wood-N-Tap
Wood-N-Tap is a family-owned scratch-kitchen American tavern and bar-and-grill chain operating 11 locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts, serving casual diners with made-from-scratch food, craft cocktails, private events, gift cards, and a Tap Rewards loyalty program delivered through its mobile app.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersHartford, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wood-N-Tap does
Wood-N-Tap is a privately held, family-owned casual bar-and-grill restaurant chain operating 11 locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts, with corporate support functions housed at HRG Management, LLC in Hartford. Founded in 2002 by Phil Barnett and Mike Hamlin, the chain positions itself as a scratch-kitchen American tavern, preparing all soups, sauces, and salad dressings in-house daily and emphasizing made-from-scratch food preparation over frozen or pre-processed shortcuts. The menu centers on American tavern fare complemented by craft cocktails and cold beer on tap; the brand also operates a private-events program with dedicated event spaces at each location and an in-house Private Events Coordinator.
The company runs a multi-channel guest engagement stack: a points-based Tap Rewards loyalty program (1 point per $1 spent, $10 reward every 250 points, double points on Tuesdays, birthday free appetizer, $5 refer-a-friend bonus) delivered through the Tap App mobile application on iOS and Android, online ordering via the OrderExperience platform with free delivery over $50, SevenRooms-powered reservations, Tattle-based customer feedback collection, and Paytronix as the loyalty infrastructure backbone. Physical and e-gift cards (no expiration, no fees) plus a $19.99 branded merchandise line (t-shirts across multiple designs) provide incremental non-dining revenue. Distribution is regional: dine-in, takeout, and delivery across 11 brick-and-mortar locations, supplemented by gift card sales, merchandise e-commerce, and private event bookings.
Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, driven by weekly promotions (Tappy Hour, $3 Taco Tuesdays, half-price wine Mondays, trivia nights), email and SMS marketing through the loyalty program, social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and earned media coverage (Hartford Courant, WTNH News 8). The customer base spans families, groups, and individuals seeking casual American dining across Connecticut and Massachusetts, with private-event hosts as a secondary use-case segment. Both founders remain operationally active, with the founders' children (Owen, Olivia, Tate, Jillian Barnett, and Connor Hamlin) working in the business, and the company signaled a forward-looking repositioning through a February 2026 rebrand introducing a contemporary logo, an 'American Tavern' subtitle, menu innovation, and refreshed interiors targeted at a new generation of guests.
Wood-N-Tap firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wood-N-Tap
- Legal name
- HRG Management, LLC
- Website
- https://woodntap.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wood-N-Tap is a family-owned scratch-kitchen American tavern and bar-and-grill chain operating 11 locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts, serving casual diners with made-from-scratch food, craft cocktails, private events, gift cards, and a Tap Rewards loyalty program delivered through its mobile app.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wood-N-Tap industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD), Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where Wood-N-Tap is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hartford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Wood-N-Tap business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: Core revenue from dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders across all 11 restaurant locations. Menu includes American tavern fare, craft cocktails, and cold beer on tap.
- Tap Rewards Loyalty Program: Points-based loyalty program driving repeat customer visits and engagement. Points earned on purchases can be redeemed for rewards.
- Gift Cards: Sale of physical and e-gift cards at customizable amounts. Gift cards never expire and have no fees. Bonus cards offered during December holiday promotions with redemption windows.
- Private Events: Catering and private dining services for events including birthdays, corporate gatherings, and celebrations. Each location offers dedicated private event spaces with customizable menus and event coordination.
- Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts and apparel through their online merch store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded merchandise priced uniformly at $19.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards available in customizable amounts |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Private events include 20% amenity fee (not gratuity) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wood-N-Tap product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wood-N-Tap operates 11 casual American tavern restaurant locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts, serving scratch-made food including soups, sauces, and salad dressings prepared in-house daily, alongside craft cocktails, cold beer on tap, and private event catering. The company complements dine-in service with online ordering through the Tap App, gift card sales, branded merchandise, and the Tap Rewards loyalty program.
Product overview
Wood-N-Tap is a scratch kitchen American tavern restaurant chain with 11 locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts. The core offering is made-from-scratch dining with soups, sauces, and dressings prepared in-house daily. The company operates a loyalty program (Tap Rewards) with a companion mobile app for points earning, rewards redemption, and online ordering. Additional offerings include gift cards (physical and e-gift), branded merchandise, and private event services with customizable menus. The company recently rebranded (2026) with a contemporary logo and 'American Tavern' subtitle, targeting a new generation of guests.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tap Rewards: Loyalty rewards program where guests earn points for dining, redeemable for $10 rewards every 250 points, with double points on Tuesdays and free birthday appetizers
- Tap App
- Tap Tappening's
- Private Events
Products and services
- Wood-N-Tap Restaurant Dining Scratch kitchen American tavern restaurant chain with 11 locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts. All soups, sauces, and salad dressings are made from scratch in-house daily, with craft cocktails and cold beer on tap.
- Tap Rewards Loyalty Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $250,000 raised for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital over the past decade
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wood-N-Tap
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wood-N-Tap technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Wood-N-Tap partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PaytronixcorePaytronix provides the loyalty program infrastructure for Wood-N-Tap's Tap Rewards program. Transaction processing is shared with Paytronix for order and purchase data. Privacy policy references Paytronix's service provider privacy policy.
- SevenRoomscoreSevenRooms provides the reservation booking platform for all Wood-N-Tap locations. Links to SevenRooms reservation system found on all location pages.
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalcoreWood-N-Tap has raised over $250,000 for St. Jude over the past decade, including nearly $52,000 in November 2025 alone. Represents the company's flagship charitable partnership.
- Connecticut ProStartminorAnnual supporter of Connecticut ProStart program, raising $20,000+ since 2024 to help students explore careers in the hospitality industry.
- FoodshareminorFood donations supporting Foodshare organization as part of community giving program.
- World Central KitchenminorFood donations supporting World Central Kitchen as part of community giving program.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wood-N-Tap competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Not Your Average Joe's: Casual scratch-kitchen American restaurant chain with locations across New England offering from-scratch food, craft beer, and cocktails in a neighborhood tavern setting. Closely comparable on scratch-prep cooking model, regional New England presence, and bar-and-grill customer base.
- 99 Restaurants: New England-based casual bar-and-grill chain owned by Brookwood Financial Partners, serving American fare, burgers, and beer in a similar neighborhood tavern format. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping CT/MA footprint and value-oriented bar-and-grill positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Buffalo Wild Wings: National sports bar-and-grill chain owned by Inspire Brands offering wings, burgers, beer, and a full bar experience with extensive TV sports viewing. Comparable as a multi-unit bar-and-grill concept targeting families and groups for dine-in and off-premise consumption.
- Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin' Brands-owned casual-dining chain specializing in steaks, American fare, and a full bar in a neighborhood tavern atmosphere. Comparable on casual American menu, bar-driven revenue, and broad family demographic.
- BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse: National casual-dining chain combining scratch-cooked American menu with proprietary craft beer and a deep bar program. Comparable on scratch-kitchen American positioning, craft beer focus, and broad family/group appeal.
- Chili's Grill & Bar: National casual-dining chain operated by Brinker International serving burgers, fajitas, ribs, and a full bar with frequent value promotions. Comparable on casual American bar-and-grill positioning, weekly promotional cadence, and dine-in plus off-premise mix.
- Applebee's: Largest U.S. casual-dining chain offering affordable American fare, burgers, ribs, and a bar program with neighborhood-grill positioning. Directly comparable on broad American casual-dining menu, bar-driven revenue mix, and value-promotional go-to-market approach.
- TGI Fridays: Long-established casual bar-and-grill chain known for burgers, American fare, and an active bar/cocktail program. Comparable on bar-centric casual-dining model and neighborhood-grill guest experience.
- Bonefish Grill: Bloomin' Brands casual-dining concept offering fresh seafood, American fare, and a polished bar program in a contemporary tavern setting. Comparable on scratch-prep casual dining, contemporary American positioning, and bar-forward revenue mix.
Regional players
- Friendly's: Iconic Northeastern family restaurant chain known for burgers, American comfort food, and ice cream, with deep roots in New England markets. Comparable on CT/MA regional footprint, casual family-dining positioning, and multi-generational customer appeal.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wood-N-Tap social profiles
Digital presenceWood-N-Tap financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wood-N-Tap leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wood-N-Tap funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wood-N-Tap M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wood-N-Tap
What does Wood-N-Tap do?
Wood-N-Tap operates 11 casual American tavern restaurant locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts, serving scratch-made food including soups, sauces, and salad dressings prepared in-house daily, alongside craft cocktails, cold beer on tap, and private event catering. The company complements dine-in service with online ordering through the Tap App, gift card sales, branded merchandise, and the Tap Rewards loyalty program.
Is Wood-N-Tap a public or private company?
Wood-N-Tap is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wood-N-Tap founded?
Wood-N-Tap was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wood-N-Tap based?
Wood-N-Tap is headquartered in Hartford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wood-N-Tap make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are tap Rewards Loyalty Program, gift Cards, private Events and merchandise.
Who are Wood-N-Tap's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Not Your Average Joe's and 99 Restaurants. Broad incumbents are Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback Steakhouse, BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse, Chili's Grill & Bar, Applebee's, TGI Fridays and Bonefish Grill. Friendly's is listed as a regional player.
Does Wood-N-Tap have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wood-N-Tap.
What industry is Wood-N-Tap in?
Wood-N-Tap's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAF, Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants, with a secondary code of CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.